Wheels |
Capturing the Crown Again in a Family’s Last Tractor Restoration

Site Search Navigation

Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Capturing the Crown Again in a Family’s Last Tractor Restoration

By Carla Baranauckas October 30, 2012 3:11 pmOctober 30, 2012 3:11 pm

Chevron U.S.A.Ryan Haass and his winning 1970 Case 1070 tractor.

This year’s Delo Tractor Restoration Competition, held last week at the 85th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, represented a couple of significant milestones for the Haass family of Devine, Tex.

Ryan Haass, 19, became only the second repeat winner of the competition, which challenges high school students to restore old tractors to their previous luster. And for his father, Tony, it wrapped up almost a decade of watching his three children participate in the event.

Ryan, now a freshman at Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, spent his senior year of high school restoring a 1970 Case 1070, which took this year’s title. He won the previous year with his restoration of a 1969 Case 530.

But victory brings its own set of difficulties. “During the awards ceremony last year, I was extremely nervous because I didn’t know if I could repeat,” Ryan said in a telephone interview. “There was a lot of pressure to repeat it.”

Perhaps that was because the only repeat winner till now had been Tabetha Salsbury, who won in 2003 and 2004, and who attended the awards ceremony for this year’s competition. She said she welcomed Ryan to the ranks of repeat winners, emphasizing that the tractor restoration had been a positive experience for her and for many of the competitors. Ms. Salsbury now runs youth programs for Hagerty Insurance, the classic car insurer.

Then again, the extra pressure Ryan was feeling may also have been from the judges, who put the participants through rigorous questioning during the competition. The restorers do not bring their tractors to the event because the logistics and cost of transporting such large machinery over long distances is prohibitive. So each competitor documents the restoration with a detailed workbook, showing photographs of various phases of the project. A panel of five judges scrutinizes the workbooks and grills the restorers about how the work was done.

“The workbooks actually help us more than seeing the physical unit,” said Dennis Rupert, one of the judges. “This way we can see the engine when it’s torn down.”

Mr. Rupert said the judges worked hard to make sure the competition was fair, but he acknowledged that knowing Ryan Haass had won last year “we’re going to have a high bar for him for sure.”

But Ryan didn’t disappoint. “The young man knew as much as any mechanic who has been in the profession for years,” Mr. Rupert said.

Tony Haass, who had each of his three children riding in the cab of his tractor from the time they were toddlers, said having his family involved with the competitions had provided benefits for his children and for him.

“I’ve spent literally thousands and thousands of hours with my kids over the years,” he said. “The big thing I think they draw from the contest is that they learn how to speak publicly and how to talk to people.”

But Mr. Haass said he hadn’t felt a void since his youngest child moved on from tractor restoration. “We finished building the last tractor last February,” he said, “and I still haven’t caught up with my ranch work since then.”

What's Next

About

A team of New York Times contributors blogs about news, trends and all things automotive. Check back for insight, photos, reviews of cars and more. And remember to join the conversation — you can comment on the cars, offer your own reviews, and post questions in our reader comment area.

Archive

Recent Posts

The regular features of this blog, including Monday Motorsports, the Wheelies news briefs and reports on auto industry developments including vehicle recalls and technology updates, can now be found on the Automobiles Web page.Read more…

General Motors hasn’t offered a diesel passenger car since the diesel-powered Chevette chugged unceremoniously into its lineup in 1986. But the company is back with its efficient Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel.Read more…